It's maybe the east side's largest commercial building. New zoning would allow medical uses
One of the largest commercial buildings on Milwaukee's east side − built as an auto factory − is seeking a zoning change to accommodate a clinic and other businesses.
The six-story, 500,000-square-foot Kenilworth Building, 2185 N. Prospect Ave., features University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate student apartments as well as Peck School of the Arts’ creative research facility.
The building, also known as Kenilworth Square East, includes first-floor commercial space.
Building retail space operator Doug Weas wants the Common Council to change the Kenilworth Building's zoning to allow such first-floor uses as a health clinic, medical office, and personal service establishment, according to a new council resolution.
That last zoning category covers such businesses as a "barber shop, beauty salon, shoe repair shop,seamstress, tailor, fortune teller, tanning salon, massage establishment, body piercing establishment ortattoo establishment," according to the council file.
Weas couldn't be immediately reached for comment on why he's seeking the change. The Plan Commission is to consider the proposal at its May 6 meeting.
The Kenilworth Building's commercial tenants include Urban Outfitters, Bisou Nails & Spa and Anytime Fitness.
The building runs between Prospect and Farwell avenues south of East Kenilworth Place.
The Farwell Avenue portion was built by Ford Motor Co. in 1914. It was used as an automobile assembly plant until 1942, when the building was sold to the federal government, which built the Prospect Avenue portion a year later. The expanded building was used by defense contractors until 1969.
UWM began leasing the property in 1971 and took ownership of it in 2001. It was used mainly for such things as storage as well as housing the university’s motor pool, mailroom and print shop.
UWM began seeking redevelopment proposals after taking ownership of the building. The $68 million redevelopment into student apartments and other new uses was completed in 2006.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, X and Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Huge University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee building seeks zoning change
